And for waste and recycling collection changes, you can check the postcode look-up facility at www.scotborders.gov.uk/bincollections, phone 0300 100 1800, or have a look at the advert on page 19 of this week’s Southern Reporter paper. The same advert appeared in last week’s paper on page 21.

All seven SBC community recycling centres will be closed on December 25 and 26 and January 1 and 2. Community recycling centres will close at 4pm on December 24 and 31.

Easter Langlee landfill site and all waste transfer stations will be closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January and open as usual at all other times.

Christmas trees can be taken to any community recycling centre for composting, while bulky collections will be cancelled on December 22 and January 5.

Council services will return to normal on Wednesday, January 3.

Councillor Gordon Edgar, SBC’s executive member for Roads and Infrastructure, which includes waste and recycling services, said: “I would encourage the public to check our website ahead of Christmas and New Year, so they know how the services they use are affected by the holiday period.

“Anyone without access to a computer can phone 0300 100 1800 to find out the full details.”